It’s official: fall has overtaken summer as the most popular time of year to get married. And it’s easy to see why: from the stunning natural colors of the changing leaves to endless cozy vibes (s’mores bar, anyone?), the season of snuggles is the obvious choice for tying the knot.
Cozy vibes
So in the spirit of the fall wedding phenomenon, we created a wedding cake with the only autumn staple that really matters: cheese. Stacked high with three of Wisconsin’s most storied wheels, this cake of cheese is a conversation piece that’s as delicious as it is beautiful.
Curds of love
We handpicked rich, savory cheeses that can cuddle up to other fall favorites like mulled cider, ultra-hoppy IPAs, and bold reds.
Each of these exquisite wheels wears their fall colors year-round, boasting gorgeous foliage tones that fit right in with your autumn theme.
Read on to get acquainted with each of these local legends and the story behind them.
Belaire – Hoard’s Dairyman
Creamy, subtle, and luxuriously soft, Belaire is a friend to all cheese lovers. Made in the Port Salut style invented by Trappist monks in the 1800s, this reimagined classic is crafted right here in Wisconsin with the gloriously high butterfat Guernsey milk from the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm – home to one of the oldest continuously registered Guernsey herds in the world. Belaire gets along famously with fresh fruit as well as Cabernet and Bourgueil wines.
Jeff’s Select Gouda – Caves of Faribault
This crystalline dream of an aged gouda is the result of a cross-state partnership between two Jeffs: Master Cheesemaker Jeff Wideman of Wisconsin’s own Maple Leaf Cheese, and Jeff Jirik of Minnesota’s Caves of Faribault.
With a perfectly autumnal bright orange rind from hand rubbed annatto, Jeff’s Select has a complex nut and caramel flavor that starts sharp and finishes creamy.
Jirik himself raves about pairing his collaborative creation with dry white wine and figs to amplify the sweet notes in the cheese.
Little Mountain – Roelli Cheese Haus
For Master Cheesemaker Chris Roelli of Roelli Cheese Haus, creating this alpine-style showstopper was a labor of love. He worked for over a decade to transform his family’s formerly commodity-focused factory into a bastion of artisan innovation. It all paid off in 2016 when Little Mountain was dubbed Best Cheese in Show by the American Cheese Society (ACS). A traditional washed-rind alpine-style cheese made in the Appenzeller style, Little Mountain has a smooth and nutty flavor that never met a wine it didn’t like – but we love ours with a Wisconsin Old Fashioned in hand.
Picture perfect
Bring all the fall feels to your cake table with these tips from our experts:
Highlight fall’s bounty. Stick to the outdoorsy motif by dressing up your cake with garnishes of fresh apples, halved figs, wheat fronds, and greenery.
Heat things up. Add hot cider with cinnamon sticks (and maybe a little whiskey!) to your table for next-level coziness.
Sweeten the deal. Create a full-on fall dreamscape with apple cider donut holes, sliced autumn fruit, and perhaps even some caramel apples.
If you’re headed down the aisle this fall, you’re already down to buck tradition, so why stop at the time of year? Start crafting your cake of cheese with an entire state’s worth of inspiration.
